In general, a complex electrical system or device may consist of a printed wiring assembly (PWA) mated to one or more other PWAs with tens, hundreds or even thousands of electrical interconnects at various locations on the PWAs. Interconnecting large and/or complex PWAs can significantly increase the capability of a system or device, while simultaneously decreasing complexity and the overall footprint or volume of required electronics. Unfortunately, interconnecting large PWAs using conventional connectors known in the art is a near impossible task.
Connectors typically require precise alignment when mating two PWAs together, otherwise, the connectors may be damaged or destroyed. Often times, the process of mating two PWAs is a “blind” process. Stated differently, it is not possible to see the actual interface and interaction between a pin and a socket or a fork and a blade therefore, alignment during mating is critical. Precise alignment and the simultaneous mating of thousands of pins and sockets or fork and blades, without appreciable damage to multiple contacts, is a difficult challenge.
In addition to concerns about board/connector damage, electrical continuity and performance is an issue as well. When combining PWAs to form, for example, an antenna array backplane, the voltage drop from the components of a first PWA to the components of a second PWA must be minimized. Therefore traces on the printed wiring board (PWB) can not be routed to the PWB edge, and the use of standard high density connectors to connect the PWAs is precluded. The locations of the connectors relative to the two mating PWAs is critical. PWA alignment, which is difficult at best, becomes even more challenging as the number of interconnects are distributed to various locations on the PWA, and the number of interconnects and the size of the PWAs increases.
A further consideration when manufacturing PWAs is the challenge of masking connectors during the conformal coating process. If connectors must be mounted to the PWA prior to conformal coating, and if those connectors have moving parts, it is very difficult to adequately mask the connectors. As such, coating material may be deposited onto the moving parts of the connector, thereby destroying the connector's operational usefulness. In many instances, double-ended compliant pins can be used to interconnect two PWAs, thereby eliminating the need for masking. Nonetheless, pin-via alignment on the second or subsequent PWA remains an issue.
Hence, there is a need for an electrical connector that overcomes one or more of the drawbacks identified above.